Can't Explain It
by SomethingMoreCreative
Summary: Jason can't really explain how much he loves Percy, but it doesn't matter. In which, Jason and Percy date, and somebody that hates their relationship is always taking it out on Percy. Jason doesn't exactly appreciate that. Percy/Jason. AU. Complete.


**A/N: This AU is Percy/Jason. I really love this pairing, even though I never write them. I actually wrote this a few months ago, and I went through a repaired it until I thought it was presentable. Also, I used a different verb tense to practice with. I'm not really used to it yet, so let me know what you think about it, assuming anyone even read this. **

**Thanks for all of the incredible reviews on my Royalty AU! I'm sure that I'll get some crazy ones because of this one shot, but that's totally worth it because I really love this. **

** If you have left me a request: I am working on it. I know a lot of you guys want to see the punk!Percabeth collection continued, but I can't really think of anything that would be worth writing down yet. I will think of something soon hopefully. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own ****_Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus, _****or anything else that you recognize. **

_-10142014-_

someone told me to hold shift and hit enter the sentiment was nice but it didn't work so no line break of course

Jason smiles as Percy waves at him. He has just gotten out of his English class, and that ridiculously large smile on his face tells Jason that he has just aced his presentation.

The two guys that Jason has been talking to about some plays for next week's game clap Jason on the back and wander off before Percy makes it all the way over to him.

"Hey, babe," Jason says once Percy is close enough to hear him. "I'm guessing that you just killed that presentation."

Percy's grin grows even bigger, and he high-fives Jason before leaning in to press a kiss to his cheek. "Dude! It's buried and six feet under! I _owned _it. I swear, I was so awesome, and then Paul was like—"

But Jason notices something that he didn't just a few seconds ago. Percy has a dark blue bruise around his left eye. Suddenly, Jason feels like he could throw up because the dark color of the bruise is throwing off how pretty his green eyes already were and—

Jason reaches out and sets his fingertips just under the bruise on Percy's face, and that's when Jason knows that Percy just now remembered that it was there. The surprise in his eyes is enough to confirm Jason's suspicions.

"Jason, it's not a big deal," Percy says quietly, turning his head away from Jason. "I ran into a wall."

"Don't lie to me," Jason says roughly. His voice is scratchy like it is when he gets angry, and _oh god _he's _so_ angry right now.

Percy pushes Jason's hands away and then grimaces when Jason grabs his side to keep him from walking away.

Then Jason knows, and it doesn't really matter that they're standing in the schoolyard with everyone else during lunch because he needs to know right now and—

_"Jason!"_ Percy squeaks as he pushes his shirt up just enough to see another dark blue bruise just underneath Percy's left ribs. The bruise is big enough that it wraps around his entire side (even though Percy is a little scrawny) and Jason thinks that he can make out shoe prints.

Jason is sure that he stares at it for an eternity, and he would have stared for longer, but Percy pushes his shirt down and pulls Jason up to look him in the eyes.

"Don't make this a big deal," Percy whispered. "Just don't."

He's too angry to talk. If he opens his mouth right now then he's going to say something bad, and then Percy is going to get mad at him and then Jason could lose the best thing that has ever happened to him and—

"It _is_ a big deal. What's wrong with making it one? Somebody has to because you're obviously not going to."

Shit. He didn't mean to say that. He didn't mean to open his mouth.

Percy's eyes flash dangerously, and he adopts that _hurt _look that Jason hates to see. Before Jason can say anything else, Percy pushes away and stomps back into the school building.

Ω

Jason was livid when he saw Percy with a black eye.

All he could think was _no, no, this can't be happening. This isn't right. I'm going to flay someone alive and then cut their throat and then—_

But Percy had demanded to ignore it. He begged Jason to forget about it, but he hadn't been able to do that. It hadn't been the first time that it happened, but the bruises freaked Jason out more and more each time, even though Percy always thinks that he asked for it. And all Jason can think is _no, no, no, no, you didn't deserve this, you stupidly adorable idiot. _

So maybe his extreme rage at seeing the rest of the bruises that are scattered across Percy's body explains why he does it. Maybe that explains why he storms off to the field house, throwing people out of his way and growling at anyone else that comes near him. Maybe that explains why he stomps up to Cameron and decks him across the jaw before hauling the fat piece of shit to his feet and snarling, "Touch him again and you won't live to see your goddamn team lose at the state championship next week."

Cameron is growling back, but Jason can see it. He's nervous. After all, Jason can pull rank right here, right now, and Cameron would be gone in half of a second. "Don't threaten me, Grace. Your _boyfriend _was asking for it."

Jason can only see red as he slams Cameron's head back against the locker over and over and _over _until Jason's arms started to hurt a little.

"If I _ever _see another bruise on him again, and I even remotely _consider _the idea that it was you, you'll be dead," Jason says, letting go of Cameron and stalking out of the locker room before he can do something else that he will regret.

Ω

Jason holds his breath when he knocks on Percy's apartment door. He hates confrontation, but he knows that if he lets Percy sleep on how upset he is, it will just be worse tomorrow.

Percy's mom, Sally, opens the door and smiles when she sees him. She pulls Jason into a hug, and he has to admit that it feels pretty good. He has always wanted a mom, and Ms. Jackson was pretty perfect.

"Why does he have bruises all over him?" Sally speaks in his ear.

Jason pulls back to look at her in surprise. Percy normally tells his mom everything. "He didn't tell you?"

Sally shook her head worriedly, "He told me that it wasn't a—"

"Big deal," Jason and Sally finished together.

Jason nodded at her expression. "He told me the same thing when I noticed at school today, but I managed to get it out of Annabeth. She told me that Percy smarted off to one of the guys on the football team, and in the hallway after class they—"

Jason's voice breaks and he stops suddenly.

But thankfully, Sally is nodding, and he doesn't have to finish his sentence. "I hope you didn't do anything that could get you in trouble."

He grimaced and narrowed his eyes. "What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room," Jason pauses. "Gross. That sounded weird."

Sally smiles and laughs suddenly, pecking Jason on the cheek before walking back toward the kitchen. "He's in his room. Try and get him out of his mood before dinner. We're having spaghetti, and I'm setting you a place at the table."

Jason grins and crosses the apartment to Percy's room. He knocks on the door for a second until he swings it open and enters anyway.

Ω

"Mom, I told you that I didn't want any—" Percy's voice sounds annoyed, and he turns from where he is sitting at his desk. He looks a little shocked to see Jason standing there, and his eyebrows are scrunched together in a way that only Percy made adorable.

"Hey," Jason says as he shut the door.

Percy crosses his arms over his chest. "What do you want?"

Jason ignores Percy's rude attitude and stalks over to him until he stands close enough that their chests brush. Jason has always been a little bigger than Percy. After all, Jason is the quarterback for Goode High's football team. His shoulders are broader, and he is just an inch or two taller than Percy.

Jason kind of secretly likes that he is just a little bit bigger than Percy. By no means is Percy scrawny, (even Jason has to admit that he has awesome abs) but being in a band doesn't exactly mean that he would have big, gigantic muscles.

Slowly, Jason reaches forward and takes the hem of Percy's shirt in his hands. Percy makes a few sounds of protest, but he doesn't hesitate when Jason pulls it over his head and lets it fall to the floor.

Percy has another bruise across his shoulder that wraps all the way under his collarbone. The bruise on his side that Jason had seen at school is worse now that he sees it up close. It is blacker in some spots, and now that Jason is actually studying it, he can definitely see the shoe prints. Jason is surprised that Percy doesn't have any broken ribs, and he is just getting even angrier that he didn't rip Cameron's throat out when he had the chance.

"Jason," Percy sighs, twisting out of Jason's grip and turning away. "I told you that it wasn't a big deal, now stop looking at me like I'm a fucking injured puppy. I can take care pf myself."

The football player steps bites the snide comment away and steps forward instead. He presses his lips against Percy's shoulder blade.

Jason doesn't smile like he normally does when the tension leaves Percy's body. He slumps backward into Jason's grip and lets him continue pressing his lips everywhere he could reach. Jason had made it all the way down his back and up to his neck again when Percy says, "Maybe it's because I'm so stupid."

Jason freezes and steps around Percy. He frames his face in his hands and pulls Percy even closer. "I don't ever want to hear anything else like that come out of your mouth again."

"Seriously, though," Percy says as Jason presses butterfly kisses to the side of his face. "I just don't understand why they do that to me all of the time. I mean, other people say stuff like that and they don't end up getting kicked in the chest by half of the football team."

For some reason, Jason feels like it's always been his fault. Maybe it's because Jason is dating Percy, and the rest of the football team feels like they should take it out on his boyfriend. He knows that there are a few guys on the team that despise his sexuality, but Jason _hates _that they take it out on Percy.

Jason flinches against both his thoughts and Percy's words. He pushes his face against Percy's and whispers, "I'm sorry, babe. I'm sorry. I took care of it."

"You _what?_" Percy says. His voice is still cold, and Jason is positive that he doesn't like it that way.

Jason bites his lip, but he doesn't move away from Percy. "I took care of it."

"You did not."

"I did too."

Percy tries to shove away from Jason this time, but he already has his arms wrapped tightly around Percy's waist so he can't go anywhere. Percy hits Jason on the shoulder and back a few times for good measure, but Jason is determined that he won't let go.

"Why do you always do this?" Percy demands. "I can take care of myself! And it's just going to be worse the next time!"

Jason growls and grits his teeth, "There better not be a next time."

"Let go of me," Percy says simply, struggling to push Jason away.

"No. I'm not letting go of you. Letting go of you would be like giving up. You're mine. Get over it," Jason growls again, surprising himself.

Percy is frowning, but he finally stops pushing against Jason. "Why are you so overprotective?"

"I am not overprotective," Jason argues, tightening his grip around Percy.

"Says the overprotective boy who is holding onto his boyfriend like a life jacket in a tsunami," Percy says. Jason can tell that his mood has finally shifted into something more playful when he uses the word "boyfriend." He wonders if they are really over their fight or if they're going to rehash this sometime later.

Jason smiles hopelessly and presses his forehead against Percy's. It doesn't matter. They can fight about it later too. He says, "What's with you and all of the water analogies?"

Percy shrugs and presses a quick kiss to Jason's lips, which is his way of apologizes, Jason thinks. Percy is fighting back a smile when he says, "I don't know. What's with you and being overprotective?"

He growls again, but his undercurrent has changed and now mirrors Percy's playfulness. "Shut up."

Percy laughs loudly, and Jason commits the sound to memory. "You're going to make me say that awful cliché? Fine then. Why don't you _make me_, Mr. Grace?"

And maybe Jason is obnoxiously pressing his grin against Percy's lips, but he really doesn't care. There's just something about this boy that Jason can't really explain, but he won't trade Percy for anything in the world.

still no line break but awww aren't they sweet?

**A/N: Thanks for reading! Leave a review!**

**-SomethingMoreCreative**


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